Sunday, May 10, 2009

A Little of What You Fancy

by Anna Campbell

A Little of What You Fancy is the title of a rather saucy Edwardian song sung by a rather saucy Edwardian music hall star called Marie Lloyd who lived between 1870 and 1922.

She's a fascinating character - although you wouldn't think so if you'd watched the recent BBC movie about her life. I was looking forward to it because it featured the gorgeous Richard Armitage as her first husband. Sadly, even the gorgeous Richard couldn't save this mess! Although I think that's a really cute picture of him laughing his head off with the girl who played Marie.

Marie Lloyd rose from poverty in the slums of Hoxton in London to become one of the world's highest paid entertainers. She went through three husbands, including a last guy who was considerably younger than she was. She stood up against the entertainment moguls of the day to make sure less famous music hall performers received decent pay and conditions.

And she was very, VERY naughty!

She was always in trouble with the censors. One of my favorite stories about her is that when the authorities complained about a song called I Sits Among the Cabbages and Peas (yeah, good old British toilet humor!), Marie shrugged, told them any double entendre was all in their dirty minds, and changed the lyrics to "I sits among the cabbages and leeks." Cheeky, huh?

Another of her famous songs was Every Little Movement Has a Meaningof its Own. Again, the lyrics without her delivery could be seen as quite innocuous! But you can imagine what the delivery was like. Ooh la la!And all this in the prim and proper late Victorian era! They weren't quite as buttoned down as we'd like to think, those Victorians. Ask Donna!

Sadly, Marie ended up falling victim to drink and her last days were rather pathetic with her playing to dwindling crowds and acclaim. But for many years, she was unrivaled as the queen of the music halls and she became that without being a great beauty or even a terrifically good singer. It was all chutzpah and guts and spirit and sauciness. My sorta gal!

She died in rather a sad way. She was performing in a shabby music hall and she was singing one of her songs that had been a hit for her since her childhood on the stage, I'm a Bit of a Ruin that Cromwell Knocked Around a Bit. When she started to stagger and eventually collapsed, the audience rocked with laughter because they thought it was part of the act. But Marie was desperately ill and died three days later. 100,000 people attended her funeral!

All of which is a rather long winded introduction to what I'm talking about today. A Little of What You Fancy Does You Good, as Marie would have said!

I'm talking about small day-to-day luxuries. The thing you regularly use as a pick-me-up. Something that offers a tiny highlight in a day that might be all hard slog otherwise.

I work very strange hours! I get up very, very early, usually around 4am and I work through until about 11 when generally my brain is tired and I'm utterly sick of my office.

Then I stop for a couple of hours. I cook lunch as my main meal of the day, I watch a bit of TV, I often have a bit of a nap. It's quite a European way to spend the midday hours, actually! Then I head back around 2 to start work again, feeling like a new woman. And if I can't get a new woman, well, I suppose an old one will do. Ha ha. A joke good enough for a Maria Lloyd song? Nah, I didn't think so either!

But the moment of real luxury to me is that I have a glass or two of wine. Generally a nice Aussie red. Aaaaaah. Big sighs of satisfaction when I take that first sip after a hard morning at the computer face.

So do you have a small reward you give yourself most days? A piece of chocolate? Some other favorite food? A favorite TV show? A photo of a gorgeous guy you drool over (you can't have Richard, he's mine!)? A cuddle with your honey? Something, heaven forbid, physical like a swim or a walk or a bit of gardening. I'm not talking about the big luxuries here like a trip to Paris or a couture gown or spending up big at a bookstore - although reading a chapter of a romance or another good book would definitely count.

Come on, share! I want to see if there are other daily sybarites out there!

145 comments:

Great post, Anna! Yes I reward myself, pretty much with all those things. Recently it's been food/making it really. I made 72 peanut butter cookies last Sunday for friends. Monday I made fried rice and dumplings/potstickers and dropped them off at school for friends before their exam. Then I walked around the building handing out cookies. Tuesday I made crab and shrimp cannelloni. Wednesday I made ginger scones. Thurdsday I made an adapted shrimp/crab cannelloni and also chocolate fondue (ganache, really). Yesterday I made fresh whipped cream using a whisk, to go with a scone. And today, I made chocolate mousse. :D I think I might go on a reading kick soon...

Great post Anna Marie Lloyd sounded like a very fun person to be around.

A Little bit of what I fancy I too get up early (not as early as you)around 530am in the morning I turn the computer on make myself a cup of coffee and sit at the computer for about an hour or so checking mail and blogs (while the washing machine is on) then it is time to hang the washing out have breakfast and get ready for work. When I get home from work dinner is usually just about ready but I go straight to the computer again and yes check mail and blogs then have dinner and shower then my favourite past time pick up a book get myself settled in the compfy chair with a Tim Tam or chocolate and read for a while.

Reading is my biggest treat and being on the computer I love it.

Happy Mothers Day to all of the Mothers ours is just about over all the family have gone home now but there is chocolate mud cake left for the GR and I to share while I read.

Helen, actually I had a fair idea of what you'd say before you answered! I knew there would be blogs and books and Tim Tams. And I was pretty well right, wasn't I? The mud cake sounds nice - make sure that rooster doesn't eat all of it!

Old Bitey! Wonderful to see you in the lair, m'dear! And what a great choice!

Hi Anna! I'll have what she's having...no, that was another blog. Love the sound of Marie even if she did come to a very sad end. I do envy you your work habits!

My small ritual of pleasure each day is to drink coffee, and for a less usual pleasure, I buy a Spencer & Rutherford handbag:) or a piece of china. But that is a very occasional thing and usually when I want to celebrate something. Oh, and chocolate, of course, but I'm trying to cut down!

Christine, I find when I'm really stressed, chocolate does come into the scheme. But I have to keep an eye on it. Otherwise, suddenly and very strangely, I'm stressed ALL the time and the chocolate just seems to disappear out of the pantry ;-) Love your Spencer and Rutherford bags, by the way! When you say a coffee, I'm assuming you mean a 'proper' one made in an espresso machine? Not Nescafe!

Hey, Penney, great to see you here. You're most welcome to say you love my books. In fact, I think it's a condition of commenting that you have to come back every day for a week and say it again and again.

Don't believe me? Nah, I wouldn't either!

Thanks for the lovely compliment! And the coffee sounds lovely. Sadly, these days, I can only drink decaf. I remember just how a proper cup of coffee to start the day really WAS a luxury.

Great post, Anna! Thanks for introducing me to that naughty but fascinating Marie Lloyd.

I'm afraid I spoil myself far too often. A good slab of Lindt Lindor chocolate is always a nice treat after I reach my writing quota. I've also taken to buying a lovely warm croissant each morning as a reward for having to get up at 5:45am. That's pretty naughty, I reckon.

Love the title of your blog, Anna and loved dear old Marie - she sounds just like my kind of woman.

Treat wise - movies for me. Of course I don't do this every day but a trip to the cinema after I've reached certain writing goals is a fantastic reward.

Wine? Yeh well - that's definitely a daily occurence. I usually pour myself one to congratulate myself for surviving homework. Which is a step up. A few years ago I had to have a glass before I could even face homework - thank goodness for maturing kids :-)

And books of course. But that goes without saying :-)

Also wanted to pop in and say happy 2nd anniversary. I missed the celebrations last week. What an achievement with the Banditas going from strength to strength.

I cannot indulge in a "piece" of chocolate for I would become a voracious chocolate monster and grow to massive proportions. I find that some Diet Dr. Pepper in a pretty glass is about all I can handle. ;)

I think my slog days would be easier to get through if I had a hat like Maria's :-)

Actually, I'm envious as all get out about your routine day, Anna (except the getting up at 4 am...I'd push it back to staying up late instead)

Hershey dark choclate kisses help here and there but...the MAIN thing that makes those 12-14 hr days at the hospital doable is...my Diet Coke. And on my days off? A fountain Diet Coke from McDonald's. Oh, I'll get one from any of the resturants, but McDonald's are the BEST.

Don't ask me why.

But today? Today I'm hoping to make it to a showing of Star Trek. Me and my popcorn and my....Diet Coke!

What a fun post! I learned something today, too. This story reminds me of Olive Thomas, a young star poised to take off in 1920s films as a flapper. She died tragically, of accidental poisoning, as she and her husband, Mary Pickford's brother, were traveling.

I like chocolate. I also like to watch a movie or several back-to-back DVD episodes of favorite TV show. I have two seasons of Smallville sitting here to help me through my current round of revisions.

When I have a fantasy ms. to work on, I like to put in The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas and a troop of Vikings. While the fantasy elements aren't dominant in that movie, it helps kick up that part of my brain.

Alias and Lara Croft movies help me with action/adventure. The first season of Heroes is always a good refueling source, especially with its tight pacing and its exploration of characters whose lives and physiology changes without warning.

I'm not good at analyzing structure in a TV show arc, but it seems to filter into my brain somehow, even though I just feel as though I'm relaxing.

And when I'm frustrated, movies with lots of stuff blowing up are good. Serenity or Independence Day or Batman Begins provide a sort of vicarious catharsis. Unless I need a laugh, in which case I go to Galaxy Quest.

Helen, I'm glad your Mothers Day was nice. We're going to Star Trek for Mothers Day. In about 15 minutes.

Have I mentioned that before? *g*

Seriously, I love reading, too, and one of the things I missed as this semester spun into nutsiness was the chance to just kick back and read. My TBR pile keeps growing, but I actually have some hope of whittling it down now that I'm done for the semester and not teaching this summer.

I love my red too (Usually Bonterra--which is California, or Obikwa which is South African, and sometimes Wolf Blass' Yellow Label Cab-Sav) I'm very specific in my reds! If it's a big occasion I splurge on some chateauneuf de pape.

In the hot sticky months I use some good English Pear Cider as a reward.

And for those big celebrations (like recently) we went to the bakery and bought these huge strawberry tarts filled with Bavarian cream! Those were HEAVEN!

Great post Anna, yes I do reward myself daily. Mostly reading every evening before going to bed but like lime I also do it with food sometimes. Although sense I have gained more weight, I need to stop the food and take up walking! We have just had so much rain lately you can't get out for those walks. I know thats no excuse but it works for me right now.

Congrats, Helen ! Don't give the GR a reward unless he is REALLY, REALLY good ! Like THAT will ever happen !!

Great post, La Campbell. Marie sounds like my kind of gal. What a sad end for such a talented person.

I tend to treat myself to Cadbury's if I've been very, very good as a writer and done all my pages. I also try to reward myself when I do those things I HATE around the house! Dishes. UGH Laundry. DOUBLE UGH !!

My sweetest indulgences are reading a great romance novel (like yours perhaps?) even if it is one I've read before.

I am very partial to an afternoon nap, myself. A habit I formed during my time in Europe and one I can only indulge on my days off. It definitely makes me feel like a new woman!

New shoes! Now there is something I used to do as a reward quite a bit. However, working at Wal-Mart has cut back on that a bit. I DO however buy at least one cute pair of shoes for each Nationals I attend. I need to shop for some soon. SQUEEE!

And for me a good hot cup of tea with some real English biscuits is a real treat for me. It is raining here now. I may just indulge in that luxury right now!

Oh, and CONGRATS TIFFANY on your book contract! I am so terribly pleased for you and I can't wait to read Hidden Beauty !!

What a fascinating story about Marie Lloyd, Anna! Thanks for sharing. I love hearing about somewhat bawdy women living against an uptight society. You have to admire such courage, or devil-may-care-ness!

Ooh, Vanessa, a lovely warm croissant? My mouth is watering! I miss a lot of those lovely big city things now I've left Sydney. Being able to pick up wonderful French bread at the drop of a baker's hat, for example! And chocolate is your staple diet, not a luxury!

Jane, I have a wonderful picture of you reclining on Eric's manly chest and tilting your head back while he drops bits of ice cream and other goodies in your mouth! Rather decadent!

Actually, AA, I suspect you and Marie would get on like a house on fire. You both have the same delightfully earthy sense of humor! Love the idea of going to a movie as celebration! When I lived in New Farm in Brisbane many years ago, I used to wander up to the Village Twin on a Sunday afternoon to see whatever was on as a way of rewarding myself for a good writing weekend. They played Strictly Ballroom for about six months! I ended up knowing every single line of dialogue! Thanks for the congrats on the second anniversary! It's great, isn't it?

Hi Sherrinda. Actually she's someone who's been on my radar for ages - way back in the mists of my unpublisheddom, I wrote a book set around theaters in Sydney in the late 19th century and I got interested in theatrical history as a result. And a lot of the Marie Lloyd stuff is still part of the vernacular here because of the British connection. I love the idea of her being so cheeky in what was supposedly such a buttoned down era. My theory is that the era wasn't nearly as buttoned down as some people would have us believe!

Sherrinda, I tend to avoid chocolate as a treat too for exactly that reason. Not to mention I can't have just one little piece. It has to be LOTS of little pieces. The nice thing about the wine is it's a luxury that I don't overindulge in (usually - occasionally I do when I'm out and about and kicking up my heels).

I've heard great things about the new Star Trek, JT. And there's some serious man candy in it! Marie's hat is pretty spectacular, isn't it? I love that Edwardian fashion. Suspect it was agony to wear because of all the corsetry but the dresses and accessories were dead romantic!

Nancy, I'd never heard of Olive Thomas. I've just looked her up. Wow, what a life!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_Thomas

What an interesting selection of inspirations you've got. And none of them fattening! I watched the first series of heroes - some serious man candy in that too! But I must say I thought it all got too silly towards the end and I lost interest so I haven't watched any of the subsequent eps.

Nancy, I actually shouted myself a Spencer Rutherford purse when I got my second contract. I'd never owned a proper handbag - I'd always been a backpacker/basket kinda gal. Sadly I can't walk in glamorous shoes any more so handbags have had to become my indulgence of choice now. I adore this handbag - it's one of those love it or hate it purses, but I think it's gorgeous!

My theory is that the era wasn't nearly as buttoned down as some people would have us believe! You know I have a theory of my own....the tighter a society tries to button everyone down, the wilder the "other side" gets. There's always an outlet. Like the wrong side of town where the "gentlemen" went at night to gamble, drink, and be with women not so buttoned down.

I think you're right. Some of those buttons were actually snaps--popped on and off as needed.

Becke, I loved Mrs Henderson Presents. That's another one of those odd contradictions that get me interested. The only theatre that stayed open right through the Blitz featured naked women. And they were allowed to feature naked women as long as said NW didn't move a muscle. Tableaux were considered artistic. Very odd! And to a lot of the young men being shipped off to fight, this was the only chance they ever had to see a woman with no clothes on. Isn't that sad? Highly recommended film!

Virgina, I have been known to use rain as an excuse to avoid physical activity too so you're among friends. Actually when I read Tawny's latest (GOING DOWN HARD, fantastic!), I use to let myself read a chapter after I'd written a couple of pages. Strangely, I had no trouble with productivity targets that particular week ;-)

Marisa, what a lovely list. I'm with you on all four! Glad you enjoyed hearing about Marie Lloyd. I'm really sad that a lot of really interesting women have been swept under the carpet of history somehow - felt that when I was researching the courtesans, some of those were incredibly fascinating women! I think then people get a false picture of what our female antecedents were like. That they were all demure little baby-making machines. Whereas there was an enormous variety in women's experience in the past and a lot of the women were mind-bogglingly gutsy. They had to be to make it in such a male-dominated world.

Catslady, that sounds absolutely idyllic. I'm trying really hard to avoid getting a cat right now - not helped by the fact that someone locally is giving away kittens. I have a lot of very beautiful birds around my house and the cats really are killing machines. Beautiful killing machines, but still killing machines! But the picture of curling up with a book with a purring moggy on my lap is SOOO appealing.

Actually, Marie Lloyd's ending was really sad, Louisa. Her much younger husband (an Irish jockey named Bernard)used to beat her and that's why she turned to drink. Love the sound of your little luxuries. My family were always great devotees of the afternoon nap - but then my family always got up at sparrow fart. I'm really running out of steam towards the end of the morning and the lunch, the drink and the nap gives me a new lease on life. I don't however do the European thing then of staying up really late!

Jo, that's exactly how I feel about women like Marie Lloyd. I love to hear about women succeeding against the odds. Actually something interesting I found when I was reading up on her was that she had a couple of sisters who also treaded the boards. All considerably prettier than her and none of them the star she was in England. However when she went to America, her style was too bawdy for them and her much prettier and sweeter sister Alice.

Cassondra, your luxuries sound...luxurious! I love an open fire. Where I live at the moment, though, it rarely gets cold enough to justify one.

Isn't Marie Lloyd interesting. Just found something she said when the Americans complained about her saucy material: "They don't pay their sixpences and shillings at a music hall to hear the Salvation Army. If I was to try to sing highly moral songs, they would fire ginger beer bottles and beer mugs at me. I can't help it if people want to turn and twist my meanings." I think she knew EXACTLY what she was doing! And her audience loved her for it.

JT, sounds like Star Trek was definitely a treat! I've seen clips and it looks wonderful - definitely on my list.

Tiff, that's interesting about CNDP. I find New World wines tend to be more robust than the French stuff. But clearly this one doesn't fit the bill. Must say I love visiting America and drinking there (hmm, I'm going to get a reputation!). The wines in the U.S. are wonderful - very similar in style to the Aussie ones, I find. Hey, enjoy your dizziness! I'm still dancing around so happy for you!

Fo, love, no one can beat you at being a sybarite. You're the model I aspire to.

Having said that, I'm right now enjoying a half-bottle of cream red concord wine, one of the Kedem ones unused from Passover, in the middle of the day and catching up on the intrywebs.

And she was very, VERY naughty!Yes, that's the reason you love her so much. I'm imagining your merry face and that delightful laugh as you wrote about her singing "I sits among the cabbages and leeks."

My daily rewards are my friends, their thoughts, their comments, their jokes. I couldn't live a day without them.

Loved the post, Anna. Yes, those Victorians were not all as prim and proper as they pretended to be.

I've learned (the hard way) that when it comes to sweets - I have no willpower, nada. I'll start rewarding myself with chocolate if I finish a sentence - just to get to the chocolate. Consequently, our cupboards tend to be bare, and will remain so until I can lose some of this weight I'm toting around.

These days I try to use reading as a reward. There's so many books in my TBA stack, and so little time to actually get to it - that what was once a frequent pleasure is now a sought after infrequent reward. Hmmm...have to figure out how to change that. Maybe I'll have to write more so I can read *g*

OMG, Limecello, if I'd made 72 peanut butter cookies, the entire batch would not have survived until my friends arrived. Absolutely my favorite cookies, and yes, I know most people prefer chocolate chip cookies. Not me.

Okay, now that's just plain wrong to make so many delicious-sounding goodies and dangle them in front of us. But I have to say, the way to get through exam time is lots of delicious food!

Keira, I begin to worry that I'm leading you down the garden path, although I promise there will be neither peas nor leeks at the end of said path! I love the feeling of a saucy little wink and a twinkle in her eye when I read about Marie Lloyd. I love that she got away with it!

Donna, I thought of your books when I was looking up the details of ML. Again, that lovely sparkle and sly wink! I still think you pitching Mrs. Brimley as a Victorian striptease was brilliant!

Laughed at you and the chocs. I hear you. Someone I know lines up M&Ms on her keyboard and eats one every time she finishes a page. If that were my keyboard, those M&Ms would be history before the first paragraph reached its last full stop! Needless to say, M&M woman has a lovely figure!

Jo, I went to bed and dreamed of Lime's wonderful gourmet feast! Seriously. It was a very unfair way for me to finish Sunday and now I want food and lots of it. Not a good thing! Wish I got lettuce cravings.

Old Bitey, that goes without saying -- books, books, and more books. I just rewarded myself with two more today! Actually, sometimes I think I just have the compulsion to buy them -- one of J.D. Robb's I haven't read and Karen Rose's "Scream for Me." I can't keep up with the reading.

Jo, no intervention! This is a good hobby. It doesn't make you fat. It increases your general knowledge. Um... It keeps bookstore staff in jobs. It cleans pennies if you drop them in the... No, that's Coke, isn't it?

I'm addicted too. Last year I bought SOOO many books because our dollar was high against yours and Amazon became a place that I haunted.

Christine, coffee? Not tea? I must admit I've always wanted to be a coffee drinker, but I think you have to start fairly young. It smells so delicious and has all that lovely caffeine. And hardly and calories if you leave out the froth and cream.

Jo, I've hit this with Americans before - I don't think they sell Lindor chocs over there. A staple food here over Easter is the Lindor bunny. Yum, yum, yum. From his fluffy ears to his little tail. And all that's left is a red ribbon with a bell! Lindor Balls are a Lindt Chocolate (my favorite are the milk chocolate and the hazelnut ones) shell over a creamy chocolate centre. Seriously, heaven on a stick!

Jo, you can still learn to drink coffee. You just have to do what I do. Make cake out of it.

In a regular cup of coffee (mug-size, not "teacup" size) you need about three big spoons full of sugar (more if it's coffeehouse coffee like Starbucks), and about an eigth to a quarter cup of cream. NOT skim milk or any such sorry excuse for pretend milk. It's got to be half and half. Whole milk at the LEAST.

Then give it a serious stir and sip. See if you don't like it. Coffee alone is too bitter.

Cassondra, I think you're trying to get Jo hooked on a vice! ;-) I agree with you about those pathetic excuses for milk not being worth the paper on the label. And I only just found out that half and half in the US is actually not half non-fat and half normal but includes lots of cream. I had been avoiding buying it in the shops because I hate watery milk. And now I'm kicking myself. Vanessa gave me that handy little tip, by the way!

I love my red too (Usually Bonterra--which is California, or Obikwa which is South African, and sometimes Wolf Blass' Yellow Label Cab-Sav)Tiffany, I LOVE the Bonterra cab. I haven't tried the Chatea. Have you tried the Liberty School cab? It's also got that richness, with a big mouthfeel, but it has a bit of leather and tobacco in the flavor. Really different. The Bonterra and the Liberty School are two of my favorite "firepit" reds. I also like the Sebeka Cabernet Pinotage (South Africa) and it's a good bargain for the price.

Glad you mentioned the fire, Cassondra. Dr. Big loves to build a roaring fire in the winter time, or what we here in California call winter. Often I wake up in the morning to a toasty fire all lit and blazing! Very nice. The flames are so friendly!

Hmm, I think when you start snorking, you really need to be worried about Jeanne being a body snatcher. Hope you've got plenty of hot water! ;-)

Actually I'm due to do a cleanout of non-keepers too. They have a big charity booksale here for one of the old people's homes and they LOVE me!!!! Although this year, because of the RWA bushfire appeal, I won't have quite as many for the local efforts.

Anna said: I think then people get a false picture of what our female antecedents were like. That they were all demure little baby-making machines.

Anna, I couldn't agree more with you. Modernists often lament the idea that our generation is so much more wicked than previous ones. However, my common sense tells me that people in general have the same needs, desire, drives. I think it's one of the reasons we love romances. We get to see the real emotions beneath the thin veneer of society.

Okay, totally cracking up at the "sparrow fart" phrase. Never heard that Aussie-ism before. My language has grown by leaps and bounds since I've become friends with our English/Austrialian counterparts in the Lair. Uh, scatalogically grown, that is.

Oooh, you just reminded me of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, Anna. I loved all versions of it, the old black and white, the one with Donald Sutherland in the 70's, I think, even the sorry little one with Nicole Kidman and Kevin McKidd (the new hottie on Grey's Anatomy and ROME star).

I definitely indulge daily -- for me, it's yoga. I know, that doesn't sound like nearly as much fun as chocolate, but since I can't have the chocolate, I go for the yoga. It calms me down, gives me an outlet for my energy, and yet builds energy, too. And I get to do a lot of controlled breathing, which seems to do good things for my stress level.

And did I mention that I did my first headstand last week? I can't imagine I haven't, cause I've been talking about it everywhere I go! :-)

Jo, that was one of the really fun bits about researching the courtesans. Those girls were seriously wild! And I don't think our current generation gets up to much that previous generations didn't find out about and have fun with, frankly. I think that's one of the interesting things about looking at actual people from the past rather than just generally accepting that "Oh, Victorian women were all repressed and asexual." Clearly that was FAR from the case! And the whole life destroyed through drink and drugs thing is definitely not something the current generation invented either.

Jo, I've never seen The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (hmm, if it's you in the bath and Jeanne sneaking in, I'm still not sure about it!). Must check it out!

KIRSTEN! A head stand! No, I didn't know - clearly I've been under a rock doing this dirty draft. Congratulations! Actually much as I think you've raised the tone unforgivably mentioning yoga when the rest of us are talking about chocolate, I know what you mean. I'm currently pining for my pool (it's too cold to swim). Going out for a dip after a couple of hours on the computer is always such a treat.

I'm sure I told you, Jo, that Olivia was based on a young Lauren Bacall? And Julian is Bryan Ferry when I had a huge crush on him in the 70s and 80s. Those slumberous bedroom eyes. Yum! Enjoy your bath and thanks for coming to play!!!!

Loving everyones treats one of my daughters gave me a Darrell Lea Mums Bag for mothers Day and I am so happy I have a box of soft centred chocolates, Rocky Road,Jubes,Caramel Snow bars,peanut brittle fingers and a bag of soft liquorice Yummy I was enjoying some of it last night while reading a good book. I a, going to make this last as long as I can LOL

Joanie, you'd be surprised! You should try it a few times. At least, give the yoga a shot. ;-) I have only done the headstand "unassisted" for a few seconds at a time -- I rely heavily (!) on the wall behind me to keep me from flying across the room and ending on my rear! But I'm working on it. Little by little.

And Anna, I would love to have a pool! I am a sucker for the mid-day swim. Not that I've ever really taken them, but if I had the opportunity, I know I'd love it!

I do the mini-reward thing for meeting certain goals, even small ones. I could be being able to watch something on my TiVo, or a trip down the street to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard (hmm, I just mowed the lawn -- think I deserve a Blizzard), getting to watch a fan vid on YouTube, reading a chapter of a fun book, etc. I'm also a big fan of going to the movies at the theater, so I look forward to that when I can. This week has been awesome as I saw both Wolverine and Star Trek at the theater. I love sitting there with my nachos, watching the previews and then the movie. I love seeing things on the big screen.

Ooh, Helen, no wonder the Rooster came to visit you. Yum! I love DL Rocky Road!

Kirsten, I NEVER thought I'd live in a house with a pool but I have to say I love it. I get lower back pain and nothing helps to stretch out those poor cramped vertebrae like a swim. And it freshens up my mind too - water always helps me think, whether it's looking at the sea or swimming or even a nice long bath. Hey, I'd love to have a Bandita retreat here one day. When we're all NYT bestsellers, huh?

I'm really looking forward to Tiffany visiting too! I feel like I'm linked to her in several ways - the Vauxhall Vixens and her visits here and the wonderful Avon Fan Lit contest which is where we first met. And I love the idea that pubs are still buying and buying big!

Trish, sounds like it's been a good week movie-wise in your house! I actually think those little rewards keep us going. It's a game I play with myself - and the silly thing is I'm gullible enough to fall for it. You know, finish this chapter and you can go and watch a DVD.

Let's teach the cabana boys about sparrow fart, huh? Sounds like something that would enhance their vocabulary.

What a lovely post, Anna. I'm curious. Did you not like the life story movie because they wrote out the good parts of her life, you know white wash it, or because they went too far the other way?

I watched RAY again the other night. First, let me just say that Jamie Farr deserved that Oscar with that performance. It was like watching Ray on the TV the entire time. Anyways, my daughter, Lynds didn't like it when she saw it, because "It showed all the bad things he did, but didn't show how great his life was after he gave up the drugs." Alas, she's right, but his life was such an inspiration because of how low he went, then how he persevered. (Yeah, I know it's not the topic, but it's on my mind.)

Suz, what a good question. Perhaps I didn't like it because RA played a rotter and was written out far too soon. Hey, am I that shallow? Actually the characterisation was nonexistent. You never really knew WHY anyone did anything they did. And because they only had 90 minutes and tried to tell her complete story, it was really jumpy in terms of time line. So you'd just start to get a handle on what was happening to her in 1910 and suddenly you're in 1922. Also - and I find this annoying in bio pics anyway - they kept doing cameos of famous people who would appear for no particular reason (apart from that the watcher would go, "Oh, she knew Oscar Wilde") and then disappear forever. LOTS of characters - far too many for me to develop a relationship with anyone in particular. Also I think for stage bios, you really need to see quite a bit of their stage work because really, that's why we're interested. This had about two songs in it and none of them were done in full. I suspect it was done on the cheap. Sadly, the girl playing Marie was really good and deserved a much better vehicle for her talents.

Oh, dear, what a rave! Sorry.

I haven't seen Ray. I must. As you can probably gather, I love a good showbiz bio pic.

Actually another one I didn't like at all was the Edith Piaf one - La Vie en Rose. Yet again, the central performance was amazing but the movie itself was really badly constructed and for some of the same reasons as this Marie Lloyd one. Did anyone else see that?

Well this is sort of off subject but the history and the wine made me think of it. I pulled this page out of my page-a-day wine calendar a few days ago. It's a quote from George Washington and I've got it taped up over my computer. I dunno. Just something about it I liked.

My manner of living is plain...A glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready, and such as will be content to partake of that are always welcome.Sometimes to treat myself I do something simple and quiet, because life is always so rushed. I guess that's what it is with this quote and my fire and my wine. (I do fires even in the summer, Anna. I just build them a bit smaller and push my chair back further. But of course, mine are outside.)

Cassondra, what a lovely quote. I love the simplicity of it - as you said, it really cuts straight to the heart, doesn't it? I honestly do love my glass of wine at lunchtime - it just takes all the stress away for a little while, sort of gives me a breathing space and then I'm ready to dive back into it. And I've been doing this for years - you'd think the effects would wear off but they never have. And I have a really nice glass too which somehow enriches the experience and I really take my time drinking it.

I get home. I pick up my guitar. I use it as a catharsis. If I'm angry, I improv death metal. If I'm sad/down, I improv blues. If I'm happy, I'll stick to major keys and just noodle, or play other people's stuff.

I play guitar mainly for me. Not for others. And this is why. It's a release.

Hey, Anna! Great post! I love those little luxuries, like a cold glass of chardonnay, a piece of cinnamon toast, my husband's coffee cake (a weekend favorite!), a cut flower from my garden. :> Not everyday, but most days, I have at least a LITTLE somethign to remind me that Life. Is. Good.

Grins.

Oh, and thanks to everyone who popped on the blog yesterday. Thanks especially to Nancy for keeping the convo going!

, I've hit this with Americans before - I don't think they sell Lindor chocs over there.Oh, YES, we have Lindt truffles. They're actually in the grocery stores around here--even at WAl Mart, but they're more expensive than your average chocolate here. They come in little bags--kind of a cream-yellow foil bag for the white chocolate, and various colors of blue for the regular and dark chocolates and a black bag for the extra dark. They're about the richest chocolates you can get around here unless you go to a specialty chocolate store. Even then, sometimes I'm a bit disappointed because I bite into the really expensive stuff and think, "this really isn't any better than the Lindt."

It's a special treat for me sometimes. I don't get them often though because I can't stop at just one. I eat the whole bag!

Cassondra, one of the good things about Lindt is that they're so rich, I can't actually sit down and really pig out. Two or three and I'm feeling on chocolate overload. Sounds like the sort of stuff we have here - maybe they're just labelled differently in the States.

Cassondra, there's been a run of chocolate cafes set up lately. There's two Lindt ones I know of - one's in a lovely historic building right on Martin Place in the centre of town. They do Lindt chocolate ice cream too! There's at least one Guylian cafe and a wonderful Israeli franchise called Max Brenner. Seriously, I think we'll need a week to do them all justice! And then there's the Opera House shaped chocs they sell at David Jones's, our classy department store. Hmm, maybe make that a month!

P226, that maker sounds fantastic! I'm with Jeanne - what's the brand? Actually does anyone remember me talking about the Belgian chocs I got for Christmas? In the packet were six chocolate sticks that you basically melt in hot milk to get a really great hot chocolate. I'm saving them for a moment of extreme celebration. They sound yummy!

A pox on all the Coke, people, Joanie. One of the reasons I like Eve Dallas (in the JD Robb series) is her buying "tubes" of pepsis. Uh, she also drinks coffee by the gallon. Hmmm, and she's a skinny one.

Sorry, Anna. Even to you, Madame Christine, Karl, Hugh Jackman, and my life-long pining to see Australia and New Zealand, it's going to take some drugs to get me on a plane over water for that long. I can see myself flipping out halfway there. Maybe someone can learn that Vulcan neck pinch and put me to sleep every time I wake up. :)

I actually rather like the idea of someone developing for real the 'beam me up, Scottie' apparatus. I don't get scared when I fly - hope they're not famous last words, Trish! But I get the world's most horrific jet lag. I'm a mess for a week after a big trip!

Everybody, it's been a fantastic day in the lair! Thanks so much for playing and rescuing a forgotten woman from the vault of history. I mean MEEEEE! Marie Lloyd was an afterthought ;-) Hope all the mums had a great day!

Someone else that I really admire although she was born a little later than Marie Lloyd is Mae West. I absolutely love that she was a revolutionary, a feminist, fought against censorship and bucked the establishment.Her biography is hilarious and I never tire of her one liners.

Mari, back in the days when I subtitled TV shows for the Deaf, I remember doing a show about Mae West and thinking what a revolutionary she was. She and ML had a lot in common, didn't they? Fascinating woman!

Forward Page

September Releases

Still Available

Headlines

Donna MacMeans, Trish Milburn, and Nancy Northcott will all be in Atlanta for the Moonlight and Magnolias conference in Decatur, Georgia September 30 through October 2nd. If you're in the area, stop by for the booksigning. We'd love to see you.

Redeeming the Rogue by Donna MacMeans received a 4.5 star TOP PICK! review from Romantic Times Magazine.

Living in Color by Trish Milburn is now available on Kindle, Smashwords and at barnesandnoble.com for the Nook.